Pile driver



PILE DRIVER 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed July 23, 1968 FIG! , INVENTOR. EQAHORSTKETTER BY lbuwed ALIQORNEYS P 1970 E. A. HORSTKETTER ET AL3,526,283

PILE DRIVER Filed July 2 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.4

FIGS 43 53 53 INVENTOR. ELA. HORSTKETTER BY M, Moe, 54 W lfiwrlzee 55 55ATTQRNEYS United States Patent office 3,526,283 Patented Sept. 1, 19703,526,283 PILE DRIVER Eugene A. Horstketter and Elmer C. Gardner,Houston, Tex., assignors to S.O.G. Research and Development Corporation,Houston, Tex., a corporation of Texas Filed July 23, 1968, Ser. No.746,808 Int. Cl. B25d 9/00 US. Cl. 173126 19 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A pile driver used for pipelike piles, including a hammerwith a cylindrical guide member or sleeve attached to its lower side.The hammer strikes the upper rim of the pipe as it reciprocates in apath determined by the guide sleeve which slides into or over the upperend of the pipe. The hammer is driven from below by an air or hydrauliccylinder or the like, with one side of the power mechanism beingpermanently or releasably coupled to the inside of the pile.

Round pilings which resemble pipes or hollow cylinders, perhaps three tofive feet in diameter, are used in such applications as the constructionof offshore oil drilling platforms. These pilings may be from perhaps100 up to as much as 1,000 feet in length, and of course, must be drivena considerable length into the ocean bottom for proper support.Presently-available pile drivers are not readily adapted to drivingpiles of this type. Usually a pile driver includes a large weight orhammer which provides the impact force, this hammer striking a so-calledfollow block which rests upon the top of the pile, so the impact istransmitted through the follow block. After extended use, the followblock must be replaced due to fatigue failure, this being especiallyprevalent for large piles of great length as pertinent here. Theconventional pile driver usually requires a guide shaft structure abovethe follow block for defining the path of the hammer in itsreciprocating motion; this structure becomes more massive as the size ofthe pile to be driven and the length of the hammer stroke are increasedas necessary for large piles which must be driven great lengths.

A primary feature of the present invention is the provision of a piledriver which is especially adapted for driving cylindrical or pipe-likepilings, and particularly such a pile driver wherein the necessity for afollow block and a complex guiding structure for the hammer iseliminated. Another feature of the pile driver of this invention is itsadaptability for use in offshore construction operations. Further, thesimplicity and light weight resulting from elimination of structuralelements provides a pile driver which offers certain advantages for moreconventional pile driving operations, as well as the offshore usesdiscussed above.

According to the invention, the hammer used in the improved pile driverimpacts directly upon the top of the pile, and the motive powermechanism along with the guide arrangement is positioned below thehammer. The guide arrangement may include a cylindrical sleeve whichfits inside the pile and defines the reciprocating path of the hammer.The motive power device may be an air cylinder positioned within orbeneath the guide sleeve. Preferably, the guide sleeve itself forms amajor part of the weight of the hammer, so that the center of gravity ofthe hammer is below the top of the pile, reducing the tendency for thehammer to tip. One end of the motive power device is anchored to theinside of the pile below the guide sleeve by a permanent or releasablearrangement. Similar structures are provided wherein the entireapparatus is mounted within a cylinder which fits into the pile, ratherthan the guide sleeve itself bearing upon the interior wall of the pile.Also, similar structural elements may be arranged to fit around theoutside of a pile, still employing a hammer impacting upon the pileitself, along with a guide sleeve and motive power means below thehammer.

Novel features which are believed characteristic of the invention areset forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as wellas further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood byreference to the following detailed description of particularembodiments, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevation view, partly broken away and partly in section,of pile driver apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view in perspective of an offshore operation usingthe pile driver of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a detail view in section of a portion of the the apparatus ofFIG. 1, using a removable anchor according to one embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 4 is an elevation view in section of a pile driver according toanother embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a detail view of a portion of the pile driver of FIG. 1,according to a modified version of the invention;

FIG. 6 is an elevation view, partly in section, of a pile driveraccording to another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 7 is a detail view in section of a preferred coupling arrangementbetween the hammer and motive power means.

It is noted that like parts appearing in several views of the drawingswill bear like reference numerals. The drawings form a part of thisspecification and are incorporated herein.

With reference now to FIG. 1, a mechanism for driving pipe-like piles 10of the type used for offshore drilling rigs or the like is illustrated.It is noted that the piles 10 may be of rather large diameter, perhaps36" or more. The pile driving apparatus basically comprises a largecylindrical weight or hammer '11 which is of sufiicient diameter toengage the top rim I10 of the pile, and is of large mass, perhapsweighing several tons, as needed for driving the pile. The hammer 11 isdriven in a reciprocating motion to impact the rim 10' by means of anair or a hydraulic piston and cylinder arrangment of conventional form.The motion is defined by a guide sleeve 12 which is just slightlysmaller in diameter than the interior of the pipe 10; as set forthbelow, this guide sleeve may be solid and form a major part of theweight of the hammer to avoid problems of tipping due to a high centerof gravity. The motive power -arrangement may include a cylinder 13having a piston 14 therein, with an elongated piston rod '15 beingconnected by a suitable coupling '16 to an anchor ;17 at the lower end.Pressurized air is admitted alternately to the upper and lower sides ofthe piston 14 by a valve arrangement 18 which may be triggered oroperated by the position of the rod .15, or other means, according toconventional practice. Pressurized air is supplied to the valve 18 by aconduit 19 which in turn is coupled through an interior passageway 20within the hammer 11, to a conduit 2. 1 which goes to a compressor. Aninterior passage, not shown, connects the valve :18 to the inside of thecylinder on the upper side of the piston, while a line 22 connects thevalve to the lower side of the piston. Vents, not shown, would releaseair from the nonpressurized side of the piston during each cycle. Theapparatus is suppOrted by a cable 23 which is connected by a suitablecoupling 24 to the hammer '11.

Turning to FIG. 2, it is noted that the pile driver apparatus includingthe hammer 11 would be suspended on the cable 23 from a long boom 25 ona crane 26, prob ably mounted on a barge 27, the barge carrying a supplyof the piles to be driven. Usually the entire operation would beperformed offshore in utilizing the preferred embodiment of theinvention, although it is, of course understood that similar principleswould apply to driving pipe-like piles on land.

The anchor 17 seen in FIG. 1, is for the purpose of providing a fixedsupport for the lower end of the motive power mechanism, such as thepiston and cylinder arrangement. The anchor 17 may be fixed in place bywelds 28, this being done before the piles are lifted out into thedriving position. The anchor 17 in the embodiment of FIG. 1 isexpendable; it is left in the pile after the driving operation iscompleted. If the driven pile is to be filled with concrete or the like,it is preferable that the anchor r17 be open, i.e., not occupy theentire diameter of the pipe 10, so that the filler may be added afterthe pile is driven without the necessity of removing the anchor. Aremotely-operated release mechanism is included in the coupling "16 sothat after the pile is driven the release mechanism may be actuated fromthe crane 26 to free the driver mechanism from the pile. Also, whenconnecting the driver apparatus to the pile, the apparatus obscures thecoupling :16, so again it must be remotely operable to permit thisoperation.

The coupling between the hammer 11 and the motive power mechanismincluding the cylinder 12, in the embodiment of FIG. 1, is preferably ofthe resilient type seen in FIG. 7.

Referring to FIG. 3, the permanently-mounted anchor 17 may be replacedby a remotely-operated expanding plug or packer apparatus of the typeillustrated. This mechanism would be permanently fixed to the lower endof the shaft 15 by a coupling :16 as before. The mechanism includes apair of opposed members 29 and 30 which have frusto-conical surfaces. Aresilient band 31, of rubber or springlike materials, surrounds theouter surfaces of the cones 29 and 30 and includes a plurality of teeth32 surrounding the cylindrical member 31 to engage the interior surfaceof the pipe-like pile .10. When the cone members 29 and 30 are pulledtogether, the teeth 32 are forced outwardly to engage the pipe wall;then when the members 29 and 30 are allowed to spread apart in an axialdirection, the band 31 contracts to release this anchor mechanism. Athreaded shaft 33 extends through the two members 29 and 30, and a gearmember 34 having a threaded interior bore is operative to move the conemembers 29 and 30 toward one another or force them apart. An electricmotor 35 or other motive power mechanism, along with a gear 36, functionto operate the gear 34 by remote control from the crane 26. In thismanner, the entire mechanism of FIG. 1, using the anchor mechanism ofFIG. 3, woufld be inserted into the top of the pile while the pile is onthe supply barge, then the mechanism including the motor 35 actuated tocause the teeth 32 to grip the interior wall. The pile is lifted out andplaced, then driven, after which the mechanism of FIG. 3 is released byactivating the motor in the reverse direction, and the driver mechanismpulled out of the pile.

Turning now to FIG. 4, another embodiment of the invention is shownwherein the driver apparatus is mounted permanently within a tube whichslides down into the top of the pipe-like pile 10 for the drivingoperation, and the entire assembly is then removed. As before, thedriving apparatus includes a weight or hammer 41, and the reciprocating,up-and-down movement is controlled by a guide sleeve 42. Here the guidesleeve 42 is shown to be a solid body rather than a hollow cylinder;this provides a center of gravity which is below the top rim of thepipe, thereby reducing the tendency of the hammer to tip or skew. Thelower end of the hammer 41, or of the guide sleeve 42, is connected by apiston rod 43 to a piston 44 within a cylinder 45, the lower end of thecylinder being fixed to an anchor plate 46 which would be welded to theinterior of the tube 40'. A conventional valve arrangement would controlthe movement of the piston 44 within the cylinder using compressed airor the like, with conduits for coupling the air supply through thehammer and guide sleeve as above. It is noted that the lower surface 47of the hammer 41 will impact upon a flange 48 which functions to holdthe entire assembly in place at the top of the pile. While thisarrangement avoids the necessity for providing an anchor of thepermanent type as in FIG. 1, or the removable type as in FIG. 3, it isunderstood that the flange 48 will be subjected to fatigue failure dueto the repeated impact of the hammer thereon. Nevertheless, for someapplications, the embodiment of FIG. 4 may prove to be the mostexpedient.

Referring to FIG. 5, an embodiment of the invention is shown wherein thepiston rod is used as a conduit for the pressurized air which is used todrive the piston. This embodiment includes a hammer 11 and a cylindricalguide sleeve 12 of the type seen, or of the type shown in FIG. 4 with asolid rather than hollow guide; a different motive power arrangement isused wherein a cylinder 50 is provided which is coupled by a connection51 to a permanent or removable anchor as in FIGS. 1 or 3. A piston 52within this cylinder is connected by a shaft 53 to the lower side of thehammer 11 by a suitable coupling 54, this coupling being of coursepreferably of the type seen in FIG. 7. The piston 52, along with theshaft 53, the hammer 11, and the guide sleeve 12, will reciprocate,while the cylinder 50 will remain fixed along with the anchor. The airsupply conduit is connected from above to a passageway 55 through thehammer 11, thence to a valve 56 which may be operated by limit switches,by mechanical detents, by inertia, or other conventional means. A pairof interior passageways 57 and 58- connect the valve 56 to the upper andlower sides of the piston 52 within the cylinder. In operation, when thepiston is at the lower end of the cylinder, pressurized air will beadmitted through the passage 58 to the lower side of the cylinder, whilethe passage 57 will be vented to atmosphere, so the piston will bedriven upward along with the hammer. When the piston reaches the upperend, the valve 56 will reverse and pressurized air will be appliedthrough the passage 57 to the upper end of the cylinder while thepassage 58 will be vented to atmosphere, thus driving the piston and thehammer downward for the impact stroke. This action will repetitive. Itis to be understood that any of a wide variety of valving andpiston-cylinder arrangements such as this may be used with theinvention.

The motive power system may include a hydraulic cylinder, rather thanthe pressurized air arrangement shown. However, the pressurized airsystem is faster in operation and may be preferable in mostcircumstances. Of course, steam may be used, since a steam source may bereadily available in connection with other pile driving equipment ofconventional design.

In FIG. 6, a pile driver for conventional post-shaped piles isillustrated which is in a sense conceptually similar to the embodimentspreviously described. A hammer 60 forms the uppermost element, and thishammer is driven in a reciprocating manner in a path determined by aguide sleeve 61 which surrounds the upper end of a pile 62. Two or moreair-operated piston and cylinder arrangements 63 are coupled to thelower end of the cylindrical guide sleeve 61 and to an anchor collar 64.This collar includes jaws to engage the pile 26 and provide a fixedsupport at the lower end of the apparatus. Pressurized air is suppliedto the cylinder 63 by conduits and a valving mechanism of conventionalform. The hammer is caused to repeatedly impact upon the top surface 62'of the pile. After the pile is driven, the collar 64 is operable torelease the grip with the jaws 65 so the driving mechanism may be movedto another pile by a crane engaging a cable 66 connected to a liftinghook on the top of the hammer 60. As in the previous embodiments Wherethe guide sleeve fits inside a pipe-like pile, here the hammer impactsdirectly upon the pile rather than upon a follow block. Also, thesupport mechanism is simplified in that the guide sleeve, a majorstructural element, performs the function of guiding the path of thehammer as well as transmitting the motive power.

In FIG. 7, a coupling arrangement 68 is shown which provides a resilientcoupling between the guide sleeve 42 and the motive power mechanismincluding the piston rod 43, as seen in FIG. 4. This same couplingarrangement 68 is also preferably used with the embodiments of FIGS. 1,and 6. A cylinder 69 bears a piston 70, and rubber shock absorbers 71above and below the piston prevent part of the impact shock of thehammer hitting the top of the pile, from being transmitted to the motivepower device. This prolongs the operating life of the mechanism.

While the invention has been described with reference to particularembodiments, this description is not meant to be construed in a limitingsense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments as well asother embodiments of the invention, may be apparent to persons skilledin the art upon reference to this description. It is, therefore,contemplated that the appended claims will cover any such modificationsor embodiments as fall within the true scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Pile driver apparatus comprising:

a Weighted reciprocating hammer adapted to impact upon the upper end ofa pile with suflicient force for driving the pile,

an elongated guide member engaging the upper end of the pile and rigidlyconnected to the lower side of the hammer to move with the hammer, theguide member being fitted with respect to the upper end of the pile toguide the path of the hammer in impacting upon the pile, the guidemember reciprocating with respect to the upper end of the pile,

motive power means coupled to the lower side of the hammer and operativeto drive the hammer in a reciprocating motion, and

anchor means engaging the pile to provide a fixed support for the motivepower means.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein pipelike piles are to bedriven, and the guide member is a sleeve shaped to fit into the upperend of the pile.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the hammer impacts directlyupon the upper rim of the pile without an intermediate follow block.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the guide member is a solidcylinder of substantial weight, providing a major part of the weight ofthe hammer to thereby lower the center of gravity of the hammer.

5. Pile driver apparatus for driving pipe-like piles comprising:

a weighted hammer adapted to impact directly upon the upper rim of thepile with suificient force for driving the pile, without an intermediatefollow block,

an elongated guide member engaging the upper end of the pile andconnected to the lower side of the hammer, the guide member being asleeve shaped to fit into the upper end of the pile to guide the path ofthe hammer in impacting upon the pile,

motive power means coupled to the lower side of the hammer and operativeto drive the hammer in a reciprocating motion, and

anchor means engaging the pile to provide a fixed support for the motivepower means, the anchor means including a member permanently fixed tothe interior of the pile at a position spaced from the upper endthereof.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein lower side of the motive powermeans is removably coupled to the anchor means.

7. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the anchor means includes areleasable gripping mechanism which is remotely operable.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the gripping mechanismincludes radially expandable means having sharp protruding members.

9. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the motive power meansincludes a piston and cylinder arrangement of the fluid-operated type.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the supply of pressurizedfluid for operating the motive power means is coupled through thehammer.

Pile driver apparatus for driving pipe-like piles comprising:

a weighted hammer adapted to impact upon the upper enld of a pile withsuflicient force for driving the p an elongated guide member engagingthe upper end of the pile and connected to the lower side of thehamrner, the guide member being a sleeve shaped to fit mto the upper endof the pile to guide the path of the hammer in impacting upon the pile,

motive power means coupled to the lower side of the hammer and operativeto drive the hammer in a reciprocating motion, the motive power meansincludmg a piston and cylinder of the fluid-operated type, and

anchor means engaging the pile to provide a fixed support for the motivepower means,

the cylinder being fixed to the lower side of the hammer and a. pistonrod extending from the piston being fixed to the anchor.

12. Pile driver apparatus for driving pipe-like piles compnsmg:

a weighted hammer adapted to impact upon the upper 6156. of a pile withsufiicient force for driving the P an elongated guide member engagingthe upper end of the pile and connected to the lower side of thehaminer, the guide member being a sleeve shaped to fit mto the upper endof the pile to guide the path of the hammer in impacting upon the pile,

motive power means coupled to the lower side of the hammer and operativeto drive the hammer in a recrprocatmg motion, and

anchor means engaging the pile to provide a fixed support for the motivepower means,

the guide member being positioned within a flanged cylinder, and theanchor means being permanently fixed to the cylinder, the hammerimpacting upon the flange of the cylinder whereby the driving force istransmitted to the rim of the pile through the flange.

13. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the guide member is a sleevefitting around the outside of the upper end of the pile, and the pile tobe driven is of the post type or the like.

14. Pile driver apparatus for driving piles of the post type or thelike, comprising:

a weighted hammer adapted to impact upon the upper end of a pile withsufiicient force for driving the pile, the hammer impacting directlyupon the upper end of the pile,

an elongated guide member engaging the upper end of the pile andconnected to the lower side of the hammer, the guide member being asleeve fitting around the outside of the pile to guide the path of thehammer in impacting upon the pile,

motive power means coupled to the lower side of the hammer and operativeto drive the hammer in a reciprocating motion, and

anchor means engaging the pile to provide a fixed sup port for themotive power means.

15. Pile driver apparatus for driving pipe-like piles comprising:

a weighted hammer adapted to impact directly upon the upper rim of thepile with sufiicient force for driving the pile, without an intermediatefollow block,

an elongated guide member engaging the upper end of the pile andconnected to the lower side of the hammer, the guide member being asleeve shaped to fit into the upper end of the pile to guide the path ofthe hammer in impacting upon the pile,

motive power means coupled to the lower side of the hammer and operativeto drive the hammer in a reciprocating motion, and

anchor means engaging the pile to provide a fixed support for the motivepower means,

the guide member being a solid cylinder, and the motive power meansengaging the lower side of the guide member through shock-absorbingcoupling means.

16. Apparatus for driving pipe-like piles or the like comprising:

a reciprocating hammer weighted sufliciently to drive the pile uponimpacting on the upper rim thereof,

a cylindrical guide member rigidly connected to the lower side of thehammer to fit within the upper end of the pile for guiding the path ofthe hammer, the guide member moving with the hammer, and

motive power means coupled to the hammer and adapted to be anchored tothe pile, for driving the hammer in a reciprocating motion.

17. Apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the motive power means isanchored to the pile by anchor means engaging the interior of the pilebelow the guide member.

18. Apparatus according to claim 17 wherein the anchor means isreleasably connected to the pile during the driving operation.

19. Apparatus for driving pipe-like piles or the like comprising:

a hammer weighted sufiiciently to drive the pile upon impacting on theupper rim thereof,

a cylindrical guide member connected to the lower side of the pile forguiding the path of the hammer, and

motive power means coupled to the hammer and adapt ed to be anchored tothe pile, for driving the hammer in a reciprocating motion, the motivepower means being anchored to the pile by anchor means engaging theinterior of the pile below the guide member, the anchor means beingreleasably connected to the pile during the driving operation,

the motive power means including a fluid-operated piston and cylinderarrangement, with a fluid being coupled thereto by an interiorpassageway in said hammer and guide member, and the guide member being asolid cylindrical member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,059,624 4/1913 Maddren 173-1263,001,515 9/12961 Haage 173-125 2,988,158 6/1961 Baldwin 173126 X3,001,515 9/1961 Haage 173-125 3,009,522 11/1961 Bedner 173-125 FOREIGNPATENTS 4,322 10/ 1879 Great Britain.

NILE G. BYERS, IR., Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 6153.5; 175135

